Know that asnam are idols whose shapes have been formed, while ansab are objects whose shapes have not been formed, but they are still worshipped, and offerings and sacrifices are made for them.
(وَأَنْ تَسْتَقْسِمُوا بِالْأَزْلَامِ) means to seek a decision or portion by using arrows.
Azlam is the plural of zalam, which refers to arrows without feathers or sharp tips—just pieces of wood.
Ibn Jarir said that these arrows (three or seven) were placed next to the idol Hubal inside the Ka‘bah. Anyone wanting to determine their share (for example, whether to travel, do a certain thing, or not) would go to the custodian of Hubal, offer a hundred dirhams and a camel as a vow, and the custodian would draw the arrows for him, each marked with different inscriptions.
The person would consider the result a certain judgment and say, “This is Hubal’s verdict (shahid).”
(ذَلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ) “That is grave disobedience”: This refers to all the previously mentioned prohibitions, meaning to make these unlawful things lawful is completely to leave the obedience of Allah—that is, it is disbelief and polytheism.
(الْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ دِينِكُمْ) “Today the disbelievers have despaired of your religion”: By “today” is meant the present era at the time these prohibitions were revealed, as well as the future (according to Qurtubi and Siraj al-Munir).
Qurtubi said that the disbelievers lost hope of you returning from your religion to the religion of the polytheists.
(الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ) “Today I have perfected for you your religion”: By “today” is meant Friday, the Day of Arafah, at the place of Arafat, after the Zuhr and Asr prayers, during the Farewell Pilgrimage.
It is narrated from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) lived for eighty-one days after these words were revealed, and then he passed away.
The meaning of perfection here is not that revelation stopped after this, but rather that until this time, the obligations, legal rulings, lawful and unlawful matters had been clarified.
After this, no further boundaries regarding the obligations, lawful, and unlawful were revealed, though other revelations did come.
Question: Does perfection mean that the religion was incomplete before this? Did the Prophet and the noble companions practice an incomplete religion before this day? And were those companions who passed away before this day following an incomplete religion?
Answer: The Prophet’s religion is always perfect according to its time, but there was still the possibility of abrogation or additions.
On this day, absolute perfection was established—meaning it would remain complete until the Day of Judgment, with no abrogation or addition of new rulings.
(وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي) “And I have completed My favor upon you”: Al-Khazin said that this perfection of religion is the cause for the completion of favor, because there is no greater favor than the perfect religion (Islam).
Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the difference between “perfection” and “completion” is that perfection is used for essentials and substances, and completion for branches and attributes.
(وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا) “And I am pleased with Islam as your religion for you”: The definite article “al-” in “Islam” is for the specific, perfect, and complete Islam.
(فِي مَخْمَصَةٍ) “In dire hunger or necessity”: This includes compulsion and hunger.
In Surah Baqarah, verse 173, both situations are mentioned, since that surah was revealed before the dominance of Islam, and circumstances of compulsion would arise.
In this surah, only dire hunger is mentioned, meaning the main fear at that time was hunger.